1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to data processing apparatuses, data processing methods, and computer-readable recording media storing computer programs therefor, and, in particular, to a technique suitably used in notification of an error caused during a workflow that an external device is requested to execute.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital multifunction peripherals (e.g., image processing apparatuses) including office equipment, such as a copier, a printer, an image scanner, and a facsimile machine, in a single housing, are frequently utilized at the offices of companies. Recent improvement in the processing capability of hardware, thanks to the progress of technology, allows the digital multifunction peripherals to provide various functions through software. For example, the digital multifunction peripherals may allow end users not only to separately execute each function, such as functions of a copier, a printer, an image scanner, a facsimile machine, and data storage, using the digital multifunction peripherals, but also to collectively execute a plurality of functions as a function flow. Here, the function flow indicates a workflow that is defined by combining functions of a copier, a printer, an image scanner, a facsimile machine, and data storage. By collectively executing individual functions of the digital multifunction peripherals in units of the function flow, it is possible to execute processing, which has been executed by a user separately operating each function, with one operation.
Recent digital multifunction peripherals have a network function for realizing connection to a network, such as a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN). The digital multifunction peripherals can realize various functions using the network function.
For example, a function allowing a digital multifunction peripheral to execute printing based on data transmitted to the digital multifunction peripheral from application software installed in a personal computer (hereinafter, abbreviated as a PC) via a network may be realized. Additionally, a function allowing a digital multifunction peripheral to transmit a facsimile based on data transmitted to the digital multifunction peripheral from a PC may be realized. A function allowing a digital multifunction peripheral to convert scanned document data into a file, such as a PDF, and to transmit the file as an email via a network may also be realized. Furthermore, a function allowing a digital multifunction peripheral to convert scanned document data into a file, such as a PDF, and to transmit the file to a file server connected thereto via a network and allowing the file server to store the file may be realized.
As described above, digital multifunction peripherals can realize various functions utilizing a network.
Processing for transmitting data to digital multifunction peripherals from PCs via a network is generally realized by utilizing dedicated utility software created according to a communication protocol unique to the digital multifunction peripherals. The dedicated utility software can use a dedicated protocol compliant with a communication protocol of the digital multifunction peripherals when data is transmitted between the PCs and the digital multifunction peripherals. The use of the dedicated communication protocol allows processing regarding functions unique to the digital multifunction peripherals to be executed. At this time, the digital multifunction peripherals can transmit a result of processing executed in response to reception of the data to the dedicated utility software using the dedicated communication protocol. Accordingly, the dedicated utility software can appropriately receive information regarding the processing result from the digital multifunction peripherals and can inform users of the appropriate information.
On the other hand, when the dedicated utility software is not installed in a PC, the PC may be unable to inform users of the appropriate information. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-284949 thus proposes the following technique.
A PC first transmits data to a printer server utilizing the line printer daemon (LPD) protocol defined by RFC 1179. The printer server then processes the received data. If an error, such as a warning, is caused as a result of the data processing, the printer server determines whether dedicated utility software is installed in the PC that has transmitted the data. If the determination result indicates that the dedicated utility software is installed in the PC that has transmitted the data, the printer server notifies the dedicated utility software of the error, such as via a warning. On the other hand, if the dedicated utility software is not installed in the PC that has transmitted the data, the printer server notifies a message service provided by Windows 2000/XP of the error, such as via a warning. As described above, the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-284949 allows the PC not having the dedicated utility software to notify users of appropriate information if the PC can utilize a message service provided by an operating system (OS).